Trousers.



A. LEANDER.

TROUSERS.

APPLICATION 21mm APB.9,1910.

Patented Sept. 6,1910.

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AXEL LEANDER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

TROUSERS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 6, 1910.

Application filed April 9, 1910. Serial No. 554,330.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, AXEI. LEANDER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Trousers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in trousers, and has reference more particularly to a novel construction designed to eliminate the tendency of the trousers to bag at the knee. It is well known this bagging efi ect is caused by undue stretching of the cloth over the knee when the leg of the wearer is bent.

By my invention I provide an increased fullness of the goods at the knee region which, however, is not observable when the leg of the wearer is straight as in standing or walking, but is called into effect when the leg is bent, in such a manner as to substantially prevent both the longitudinal and transverse stretching efiect ordinarily occuring over the knee-cap, thus preventing the permanent deformation of the goods at such point.

The means whereby I accomplish this result consists essentially in the provision of a longitudinally extending normally folded plait located in the knee region of the leg and preferably formed in one or both of the side seams. This device affords such an enlargement of the leg at the knee when the leg is bent as to prevent any appreciable stretching of the clotheither longitudinally or transversely over the kneecap. This plait may be formed in any practicable or convenient way to produce the described efiect, within the purview of the invention; but it is preferably formed by providing on the longitudinal edge of either the front or rear section of the leg portion, at either or both side seams, an inwardly folded flapextension or tongue which is stitched across its top and bottom and along its free edge to the overlapping margin of the other section. By this construction both folds of the plait present the dress side of the goods toward each other, so that when the plait is partially spread 0* opened in the bending of the leg there is no exposure of the undressed side of the goods or of any linings, bindings, etc.

In the accompanying drawing I have illustrated one practical form in which the invention may be embodied, although it should be understood that the invention is capable of embodiment in other specifically different structures, all falling within the same principle and effecting the same result.

Referring to the drawings 1-Figure 1 is a side elevational view showing a pair of trousers equipped with my improvements as the same appear on the person of the wearer. Fig. 2 is a detail fragmentary elevation of the inner side of one of the longitudinal side seams showing the manner of forming the longitudinal plait therein. Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view showing the adjacent marginal portions of the front and rear sections of the trousers leg slightly separated and illustrating the manner of cutting and uniting the two sections. Fig. 4 is an enlarged cross section through the leg portion of the trousers at the knee showing the plait formed in both sides thereof; and Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section, on an enlarged scale,

on the line 55 of Fig. 2, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows.

Referring to the drawing, 5 designates the front section and'6 the rear section of the leg portions of a pair of trousers and 7 and 8 designate respectively the usual inner and outer side seams therein. On the margin of one of these sections, in the region of the knee, and preferably on both sides thereof, there is provided an inwardly folded tongue 9 which is preferably stitched along its base, as shown at 10, to the body of the section in line with the side seam 7 or 8. This inwardly folded tongue 9 is stitched across its top and bottom and along its free edge, as shown at 11 and 12, respectively (Fig. 2) to the outer side of the usual relatively wide outlet flap 13 customarily allowed at the side seams on either or both' of the longitudinal sections 5 and 6. To prevent the plait .from accident-ally turning wrong side out and to insure its closing when the leg is straightened, I also attach the tongue 9 at its upper and lower ends to the section 5 against which it is folded. In order to prevent the stitching from showing on the outer side of the goods I preferably secure to the inner side of the section 5 beneath the tongue 9 by blind stitching indicated at 14, an anchor strip 15, to which latter the corners of the tongue 9 are secured as by stitches 16 (Fig. 2).

From the above it will be seen that the side seam 7 or 8 which unites the front and rear sections of the leg is laterally offset at the plait where the outlet flap 13 is stitched to the tongue 9, while the stitching 10 at the base of the tongue is directly in line with the main side seam stitching, thus giving the effect of an ordinary straight side i seam. when the leg is straight.

The result sought by the invention can be secured by forming the plait anywhere in and longitudinally of the knee region, but obviously the most convenient place therefor is in the line of the side seam or seams; and preferably the plait is formed in both side seams so as to allow the cloth to yield-equally and evenly on both the inner and outer sides, thereby producing such an ample degree of fullness as to prevent any appreciable lengthwise stretch of the cloth over the knee-cap which is the principal cause of the bagging efiect.

From the foregoing it will be seen that thedevice of my invention requires no elastic attachments, as the plait automatically closes when the leg is straightened, and the device is unobjection'able on the score of appearance since it is concealed in standing or walking, and practically unnoticeable when the leg is bent, since the plait exposes only I the dress side of the goods and is in a region where numerous other wrinkles inevitably occur when the leg is bent.

I claim:

1. A pair of trousers having formed in the knee region of each leg portion thereof a longitudinally disposed expansible plait, substantially as and for the purpose escribed.

2. A pair of trousers having formed in a side seam of each leg portion thereof and extending through the knee region a longitudinally disposed expansible plait, substan tially as and for the purpose described.

3. A pair of trousers having front and rear sections united by side seams, one of said sections being provided opposite the knee region with a lateral tongue extension, around the margin of which the side seam extends thereby forming a normally-folded plait-like abrupt enlargement of the leg of the trousers, substantially as and for the purpose described.

AXEL LEANDER. Witnesses:

SAMUEL N. POND, E. W. KILCRAN. 

